Central MA Up + Comer: Health Coach Connie Kanella Aramento

Connie Kanella Aramento's passion for health, fitness, and leadership is evident in every aspect of her life.

Connie Kanella Aramento is a Certified Holistic Health Coach by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners and a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2009. She also holds a BA in International Relations from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY, and an MS in Higher Education and Counseling from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT. As a wife and mother first, her lifelong passion is to help people of all ages achieve their self-worth, have balance, and accomplish their dreams in life, and she truly believes that starts from the core. With her intuitive nature, sense of humor, and outgoing personality, she dedicates herself to the people she helps and ultimately guides them towards their true potential and life fulfillment.

SW: You have a 6-week program called MindFit 2014. Can you describe it?

CA: MindFit 2014 is a goal driven program primarily for women focused in three areas: physical, emotional and spiritual health. Finding balance in one’s life means taking a look at the whole picture. You have to look at it from a 360-degree viewfinder. Every person is different and there is no one formula that works for all. Physical, for example, involves nutrition and physical fitness. Next is emotional health. This will involve taking a deeper look inside as to what might be causing the pause in achieving dreams and ultimately discover what drives success and motivation. Lastly, spiritual health will involve reiki energy work and mindfulness practices. MindFit is ideal for women who are looking to really make change happen in 2014.

SW: What led you to this career path?

CA: I grew up in Buffalo, New York, where my family owns restaurant businesses. I was always surrounded by food whether it was at the restaurant or at home. My parents, being immigrants from Greece, believed strongly in the Mediterranean way of eating. Everything was always fresh from the garden, olive oil came directly from Greece, and everything was always cooked from scratch. I always had a passion for health and wellness at a very young age because of my experience. As I started to go to my friends’ homes, I realized the “food” experience wasn’t the same. I knew that I wanted to start my own business and that I had something bigger that I wanted to contribute to the world.

SW: What made it all come together?

CA: After I moved away from home and the restaurant businesses to continue my education, I began to embark on this journey of discovering myself and how I wanted to contribute to making our society better. I knew I had two passions: health/wellness and leadership. One day I googled those words together and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition came up. One phone call later and I had signed up for a journey that would lead me to my true passion….finally! I’ve also unfortunately had young family members close to me pass away due to cancer and I am on a mission to help people find their balance and passion in their lives which includes preventing illness as best as we can.

SW: Can you describe a day in your life?

CA: The alarm rings at 6 am to get up and get ready for work. My husband is also getting ready and makes our morning shake, usually filled with Greek yogurt, fruit and honey. I get our 2-year-old ready to drop off at school and get prepared for work. In the process I update my social media sites including my Soul Sync Wellness Facebook page, and get to work. My day is full with meetings and after work, I typically workout and come home to cook dinner and do the typical household chores like laundry or cleaning. I usually spend time on building my business at night, in between having fun with my little one. I then enjoy spending time with my husband and cozying up with my little one reading a book or watching her favorite show. I’m usually in bed by 11 at the latest.

SW: What do you do away from your career?

CA: I enjoy working out, traveling when I can, being on the beach in the summer, spending time with friends, family and love shopping or researching more about health and wellness trends. I also love watching Bravo and The Voice (yes, I do love the reality shows), and just relaxing on the couch and watching the sunshine come in my house.

SW: What is a fun fact few people know about you?

CA: My name is really Kanella which means Cinnamon. It was my grandmother’s name, and my parents didn’t want me to get made fun of growing up in school, so they had it as my middle name instead of my first name on my birth certificate. People laugh at me because I put Cinnamon on everything….which ironically is an essential herb is having balance in the body.

SW: Who or what has been or is the biggest influence in your life?

CA: My family has been my biggest influence for the most part, but specifically, my uncle Gus who passed away 2 years ago from cancer. He was only 52 at the time and was a successful businessman and patriarch of our family. His death was sudden and a true shock to my family. He dedicated his life to helping people be successful. When my parents didn’t want to let me go away to college, my uncle would advocate for me and say, “Let her go, she will be ok, trust her.” He would give me the thumbs up on an idea that I had and nobody agreed with. He taught me that life is truly short and you have to make the best of it, everyday! He taught me that having a business is wonderful, but you also have to love it each day. It should not be a struggle, nor feel as if it is suffocating you. My favorite phrase that he used to say was “don’t worry about it, it will all work out…it always does.” And oddly enough, it truly has.

SW: What is on the drawing board for your business in 2014?

CA: I currently work in higher education and truly do enjoy it. Now that I am a wife and mom (of soon to be two), I am in a different phase in my life. I find myself yearning for flexibility and balance. I feel truly ready to take what I am passionate about into my hands and make it my full-time endeavor. I’ve been doing it since 2009 and have coached clients since then, facilitated workshops, group coaching classes, lectures and presentations, taught health and wellness sessions to college students, and have also chaired a health and wellness initiative in my full time role.

For me, 2014 is all about taking the show on the road. I will be offering more one-on-one coaching, group coaching classes, presentations, and am working on a “secret project” that will benefit employees in the workplace…and definitely more blogging as well! I learn from my experiences and the people I work with each day, so ultimately delivering what people want and need is my mission.

SW: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

CA: As an author, renowned speaker, health and wellness advocate in New England and beyond, involved in the community, successful business owner, mother and wife. Looking back, I want to see people healthier, lives changed for the better as a result of my health, wellness, lifestyle and program enhancements and contributions. And ultimately, enjoying life and having fun in doing what I love each and every day! I could truly tell you that my dream has always been to be a talk show host—Oprah is my idol—and if the cards land and it’s meant for me one day, I will do that as well.

GoLocalWorcester presents Central MA Up + Comers, a weekly profile of a member of the next generation as they are making their mark on the Central Ma workforce and community. Join us every Thursday for a look at the careers and lifestyles of the local digital generation. If you have suggestions for a profile, please email [email protected].

Susan D. Wagner is president of Susan Wagner PR, a boutique public relations firm invested in meeting client's goals with integrity and creativity.

Related Slideshow: New England’s Healthiest States

The United Health Foundation recently released its 2013 annual reoprt: America's Health Rankings, which provides a comparative state by state analysis of several health measures to provide a comprehensive perspective of our nation's health issues. See how the New England states rank in the slides below.

Definitions

All Outcomes Rank: Outcomes represent what has already occurred, either through death, disease or missed days due to illness. In America's Health Rankings, outcomes include prevalence of diabetes, number of poor mental or physical health days in last 30 days, health disparity, infant mortality rate, cardiovascular death rate, cancer death rate and premature death. Outcomes account for 25% of the final ranking.

Determinants Rank: Determinants represent those actions that can affect the future health of the population. For clarity, determinants are divided into four groups: Behaviors, Community and Environment, Public and Health Policies, and Clinical Care. These four groups of measures influence the health outcomes of the population in a state, and improving these inputs will improve outcomes over time. Most measures are actually a combination of activities in all four groups.

Diabetes Rank: Based on percent of adults who responded yes to the question "Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have diabetes?" Does not include pre-diabetes or diabetes during pregnancy.

Smoking Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are current smokers (self-report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke).

Obesity Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher.